RaveBooklistBergen...deepens readers’ understanding of Osama bin Liden, founder of the terrorist group al-Qaeda and the force behind the 9/11 attacks ... Bergen meticulously describes bin Laden’s youth, family, and radicalization. The narrative gains speed and suspense as Bergen recounts bin Laden’s ruthless rise to power, al-Qaeda’s early successes, and bin Laden’s last bitter years, leading to an excellent summary of bin Laden’s effect on American and international politics .... Bergen’s detailed, incisive, and clarifying biography is an invaluable work marking 9/11’s twentieth anniversary.
